Further Explanation

 Whoops! Looks like a few of my delightful readers treated me with more gravitas than i merit and took my last post in all seriousness......which only makes me love you more! But i'd recommend that you read what i write with Morton's at the ready. I'll do anything for a laugh, especially when it's at myself. As i said to Gracey: "uh oh. frankly, this outfit didn't bother me at all - but when i thought about "this look + this blog" it occurred to me that i could play it for laughs...especially if any of my readers have seen "Eating Raoul". altho i do have to accept that there are certain looks which i am too poor to wear ;) ".  (and "OT" as they say - i can't imagine what Gracey is "too" "too" to wear - thoughtful? considerate? creative? but i can imagine plenty of precious metals being outshone by that 24 carat smile!)

The 'mutton dressed as lamb' style no-no doesn't cross my mind overmuch, possibly because i got all those crazy looks out of my system when i was younger. (woo hoo! i should dig up some pictures!) But i do harbor a strong aversion towards dressing in an infantile manner.  I didn't appreciate how i was treated when i was a child (the same as all children are in our culture) and wasn't about to encourage this treatment by dressing the part. I've continued to exhibit this tendency ever since. Cutesy prints of cuddly kittens on shapeless fuzzy sweatshirts, flannel 'pajama pants', footie onesie pajamas on 48 year old people, sweaters with sparkly little elves embroidered on them for Christmas, any garment in fuzzy shapeless pastel colors - it all drives me utterly out of my mind!!!!!  Something about adults wanting to dissolve boundaries and crawl back up in the womb - ??? - i don't know but i'm sure it's too 'psychologically deep' for a style blog.

i'll take some pictures which better capture the details

But it   seriously    creeps    me     out.   Which argues in favor of my comfort with and attraction to these type of looks - more grown up. As part of an ongoing rush (rash?) of inspiration from Carolyn, i acquired Butterick 4985 and went to work (scroll down, down, down - Carolyn's made about a dozen fabulous, unique versions of this blouse!). In this here iteration i was aiming for a modern, sleek blouse with a Gibson Girl vibe. I like the way it turned out - you get the feel of feminine frills and decadent ornamentation but the overall shape makes it completely wearable in a modern wardrobe. I used the 'window bleached' area of the same drapes i used to make the Rebecca Taylor dress (also inspired by you know who!).

Another similar outfit - grown up clothing items which emphasize the 'adult female' aspects of my figure - bust, waist hips - and not the lean, coltish long legged silhouette of an adolescent who has just come through a growth spurt.  I also like the shot of caramel orange of the purse.

Is this 'anti-infantile-dressing' fixarion a purely personal pet peeve (or neurosis)? Or does it resonate with any of you?  So much for 'light Friday fare' - ah well!

Ivory Blouse: Butterick 4985
"Geisha" Blouse: La Fred Europa Blouse Pattern
Skirts: own design
Top Sandals: Naturalizer
Bottom Sandals: Aerosoles